The present invention relates to a device for mounting a particular electronic part on electronic equipment and, more particularly, to a battery pack mounting device applicable to electronic equipment of the kind using a battery pack and to a charging unit which charges a rechargeable battery loaded in a battery pack.
A paging receiver or similar portable miniature radio equipment is extensively used today. A majority of such equipment is powered by a battery pack having a battery holder and a battery, especially rechargeable battery, held by the battery holder. The battery pack is removably loaded in a power source section which is provided in the radio equipment. An advantage particular to a battery pack is that all the electrical connections associated with a power source are automatically set up when the battery pack is inserted in a battery pack containing portion defined in the power source section. A current trend in the radio equipment art is toward miniaturization. Miniaturization, however, is difficult to achieve with the conventional layout in which an antenna section and a radio section are ideally spaced apart from each other to optimize their own characteristics. It is necessary, therefore, to implement optimum design which allows the antenna section and ratio section to be located as close to each other as possible while preventing their inherent characteristics from being disturbed.
Specifically, in a conventional paging receiver, an antenna section, a radio section and a power source section which is implemented as the battery pack are arranged extremely close to one another in a predetermined relative position in order to reduce the overall size of the receiver. The antenna section includes metallic plates which constitute a part of the casing of the paging receiver. The radio section is implemented as a printed circuit board loaded with a plurality of electronic parts each being made of metal. The battery pack accommodated in the power source section is loaded with a battery at least the sheath of which is made of metal. Assume that the metallic plates of the antenna section or the printed circuit board of the radio section is disclosed, or that the battery pack is misplaced in the power source section to reverse the polarities of the battery. Then, the designed optimum antenna characteristic of the equipment is apt to change due to the asymmetric configuration of the metallic member which forms the sheath of the battery. More specifically, the antenna characteristic of the equipment is usually designed by assuming a condition wherein all the components such as the printed circuit board and battery pack are mounted on the equipment. Therefore, when the position of the printed circuit board or the position of the battery pack in the equipment is changed, i.e., when the relative position of their metallic members is changed, the capacitance of the entire electric circuitry is changed to prevent the antenna from maintaining the predetermined optimum characteristic. Radio equipment with an implementation for preventing the misplacement of the battery pack in its power source section has been proposed. Such an implementation, however, requires the user to be extremely careful in inserting the battery pack in the power source section. Should the user push the battery pack into the power source section in a wrong position, an undesirable force would act on the connecting portions and casing and, in the worst case, damage the electrical arrangement and/or the casing.
The recharge the battery held by the battery holder of the battery pack, the battery is removed from the battery holder and then loaded in a battery pack accommodating portion of a charging unit. In the battery pack accommodating portion, the positive and negative poles of the battery contact respectively a positive and a negative terminal provided in the portion of interest, so that a current is fed to the battery via the positive and negative terminals. The user, therefore, has to remove the battery from the battery holder of the battery pack every time the battery needs recharging. Moreover, the conventional charging unit is not provided with means for accommodating the battery only in a correct position in the battery pack accommodating portion thereof. Hence, there is a fear that when the battery pack is inserted in the charging unit with its polarities reversed, the battery is damaged by current.
As stated above, difficulties have been experienced in inserting a battery pack or a battery in a correct position in a battery pack accommodating portion of electronic equipment of the type using a battery pack which holds a rechargeable battery in its battery holder, or in a battery accommodating portion of a charging unit for recharging the battery.